Clip squeezing tool



March 12,1946. F P, FoRss I 2,396,562

CLIP S QUEEZING TOOL ATTORNEY.

Ma,cn l2, 1946. F. P, FoRss CLIP SQUEEZING TOOL Filed Jan. 10, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentec Mar. i2s 1943 UNITED s'm'rlazsv PATENT oFFlcE CLIP SQUEEZING TOOL Frithiof I. Forss, Aurora, Ill., assignor to Independent PneumaticTool Company,` Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application January 10, 1944, Serial No. 517,677

8 Claims.

This invention relates to portable power operated clip squeezing tools.

It has been the pr-actice in fabricating bed springs, seat cushions and similar structures to fasten the coiled springs together at their adjacent portions and to the supporting frame by substantially U-shaped metal clips. These clips heretofore have been applied and clamped about the spring and the supporting wires by the use of manually operable hand tools of the plier type with relatively long shanks or handles to offer the leverage required to deform the clips in clamping them about the adjacent wires. In using these manually operable tools the operator first positions the clip between the jaws of the tool with one hand and while so holding the `clip presses the tool handles towards each other by the other hand to grip and support the clip in the jaws of the tool. While still holding the handles under this slight pressure to prevent the clip from being displaced or dropping out of the tool, the operator with the free hand adjusts or draws the adjacent spring or other wires together for entry into the opening in the clip in applying the clip about the wires by the tool, When the clip is positioned about the wires, the operator thereupon squeezes the tool handles together with suiicient force to compress or clamp the clip about the engaged Wires for securing them together. As these clips are usually made of metal of different sizes and thicknesses according to the size of the spring and supporting wires to be fastened together, the operator is required to exert a re1atively heavy pressure on the tool handles to squeeze the clips in place. Frequently, a pressure as high as several hundred pounds is demanded to squeeze some of these clips together. This heavy pressure is the dominating factor in the use of these manually operable tools and physically strong operators are required to perform this work with the result the fatigue and strain is an element which limits the output in these clip squeezing operations.

This invention is designed to overcome the defects hereinabove noted, and the objects of myv invention are to provide a portable power operated tool which is so constructed that it will hold the clip in position by applied power and will allow the operator to manipulate the tool to position the clip over the adjacent portions of the spring or other wires to be joined, and which subsequently allows the operator to cause the tool to apply heavy clamping pressure by ,power actuated means, thus relieving the operator of all elort of initially holding the clip in place and 55 of the relatively heavy elort of squeezing the clip to deform it and clamp the adjacentportions of the spring or other wires together. ,Y

A further object of my invention is tor provide a power operated portable clip'squeezing tool which has a main power actuated means for squeezing the clip into clamping relation about the spring or other wires to be joined, and an auxiliary power actuated means for initially holding the clip with suiiicient grip to prevent the clip being displaced or dropping out of the tool when applying the clip to the` work by the tool, and which tool is so constructed that manually operable means are provided within convenient'V reach of the operator and forming part of the tool as to successively control the clip gripping and clip squeezing operations, while holding the tool in one hand and positioning or adjusting the spring wires to be engaged by the clip with the other hand without undue fatigue being impressed'on the operator in these clip applying and squeezing operations. Y

A further object of my invention is to provide a portable power operated clip squeezing tool suiciently small in size and light in weightthat the tool may be conveniently gripped and handled by the operator in one hand and which tool has its main power actuated means in the. form'of a cylinder and a piston assembly to receive a pressure uid for operating the piston on its power and return strokes for respectively moving the relatively movable jaws or clip engaging members of the tool into clip squeezing positions and allowing said members to be moved into their open positions to receive another clip on the return stroke of the piston, and which toolhas its auxiliary power actuated means in the form of a spring which is compressed in the return stroke of the piston and which spring means is Vmade effective to initially move the clip engaging members into gripping relation with the clip for holding the same in the initial movement of the controlling means of the tool by the operator.Vv

In conjunction with the foregoing, my invention contemplates a control means which may be in the form of a single valve unitl carried by the tool and which unit is movable by the operator into a rst position to move the jaws or clip engaging members into gripping engagement with the clip and subsequently into a second position .in the continued movement of the control means to apply pressure uid on the `rear side of the piston for moving the members intoV clip squeezing relation, the spring functioning on relieving pressure on the front side of the piston in the initial movement of the control means.

The invention consists further in the structural organization and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed,

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View with parts in elevation of my improved power operated clip squeezing tool, the power piston being shown at the end of its return stroke;

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing the jaws of the tool moved into holding position with respect to the clip in the initial movement of the piston by a spring means to be hereinafter described;

Fig. 3 is a top plan vie-w of the tool with parts broken away and in section for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 4 is a View showing a detail of construction with respect to the spring elements for normally moving the jaws into open positions; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the clip squeezing tool of my invention comprise-s a cylinder I small enough in diameter to serve as a grip for the tool and mounting a piston 2 secured to the rear end of a piston rod 3 which rod extends through a header 4 screwed into and closing the front end of the cylinder. The rear end of the cylinder` I is closed fby a header structure 5 cast integral with the cylinder and mounting a throttle valve 6 and a threaded tting 1 for connecting an air hose (not shown) to the tool for supplying compressed air to the cylinder for operation of the piston 2 therein.

The piston rod 3 is provided with an axial bore 8 closed at its front end and opening at its rear end through the rear end on the rod on the rear side of the piston 2 as shown in Fig. 1. Located within the bore 8 is a coiled expansion spring 9 and a plunger I0, the latter being pressed by the spring 9 against the rear header 5 of the cylinder. The plunger I has a pin and elongated slot connection II and I2, respectively, Iwith the rod to slidably support the plunger within the rod and limit the projection of the plunger from the rod.

A driving head I3 is mounted on the front end of the 'rod 3 beyond the header 4 and said driving head I3 mounts a pair of rollers I4, I4, one above the other, as shown.

Cast integral with and extending forwardly of the header 4 at the front end of the cylinder I is a pair of laterally spaced, substantially parallel bracketarms I5, l of equal length. Located between the arms I5 is a pair of jaw members I6, I6 connected to the arms I5 adjacent their outer ends by a fulcrum pin I1 anchored in place as shown herein.

The power applying ends I8, I8 of the jaws I5 are beyond the forward ends of the arms I5 and are shaped to engage a metal clip I9 to be applied by the tool.

The power receiving shank portions 20, 2D of the jaws I6 extend inwardly towards the header 4 and receive between them the driving head I3 and the rollers I4. The rollers I4 act on the opposed cam surfaces 2l, 2| of the shank portions 2U of the jaws to pivot the latter about the pin I1 to close their outer ends I 8. This action compresses or clamps the clip I9 about the wire or rod members 22, 22 to be connected together by the clip as will be seen from Fig. 2. The jaws I6 in this operation may either bring the ends of the clip into abutment or into overlapping relation depending on the shape given to the clip engaging ends of the jaws.

Springs 23, 23 supported by the header 4 act on the jaws I6 to pivot the same into open positions on the return stroke of the driving head I3 with the piston 2 to the starting position of the driving head at the rear ends of the jaws as shown in Fig. 1. The springs 23 are anchored by screws or other fasteners 24, 24 to shoulders or ledges 25, 25 on the header 4 and have their loopshaped body portions 26, 26 between the bracket arms I5 and bearing inward on the jaws I6 to hold them against the rollers I4 and to open `the jaws on the return stroke of the piston 2.

The throttle valve 6 is mounted in a bushing 21 tted in the rear header 5 and comprises two axially movable parts 28, 29. The part 28 is a valve member which is biased to a seat 39 within the bushing by a coiled spring 3| also within the bushing below the valve 28. The air passages 32, 33 in the bushing are above and below the valve seat 39 and respectively connect with the air intake passage 34 at the hose iitting 1 and with the rear end of the cylinder I through a port 35 in the header 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The part 29 of the throttle valve 6 comprises a stem slidably mounted in the bushing 21 above the part 28 and extends out of the bushing at its upper end to the exterior of the cylinder I and is there engaged by one of two interacting valve actuating levers 36, 31. The stem 29 carries a valve member 38 adjacent its upper end and which valve member 38 serves to open and close an exhaust port 39 at the upper end of the bushing 21.

The valve stem 29 is provided with an additional valve member 40 to open and close the side ports 4I, 42 in the bushing 21 and which ports 4I, 42 respectively connect the bore of the bushing with a channel 43 about the outside of the bushing at the ports 4I, 42. This valve 40 nts the bore of the bushing and closes the ports 4Il 42 when the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 2 and opens the ports when vthe valve is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The levers 36, 31 are both fulcrumed between webs or lugs 44, 44 on the cylinder I. Moving the longest lever 31 towards the cylinder I actuates the throttle valve Ii to supply air pressure to the rear end of the cylinder for forcing the piston 2 on its forward or power stroke. The springs 3I and 45 move the throttle valve and the levers upwardly when the levers are released as indicated in Fig. 1.

The operation of the tool is as follows:

The parts are in the positions shown in'Fig. l in the normal position of the tool. The operator grasps the tool about the cylinder I with one hand and with the other hand inserts the clip I9 between the open ends I8 of the jaws I6. The clip I9 is located between the jaws with the opening in the clip facing outwardly as shown in Fig. 2. The operator while holding the clip in position between the jaws depresses the lever 31 until its motion is resisted by the stronger spring 3| and the spring 9 thereupon moves the piston to initially move the jaws to grip the clip therebetween. This occurs due to closing off the live air at the valve 40 and opening the front side of the piston 2 to the exhaust 39 and the cylinder passage 46 on unseating the valve 38 as shown in Fig. 2. The spring 9 is only strong enough to move the driving head I3 initially between the shanks 20 of the jaws I6 to grip and hold the clip between the outer ends IB of the jaws as shown in Fig. 2. The valve member 28 is seated at this time and live air is cut 01T to the rear side of the piston 2.

The pressure of the springr 9 holds the clip in the tool and the operator may manipulate the tool to engage the clip about the spring or other wires 22 to be joined as shown in Fig. 2. With the clip held between the jaws by the spring, the tool may be handled without fear of the clip being -displaced or dropping out of the jaws and may be extended to any position desired to engage about the selected adjacent portions of the wires to be clamped.

After the clip I9 as supported by the tool is applied about the elements 22, the lever 31 is further depressed towards the cylinder I and the stem element 23 of the throttle valve 6 is forced against the valve member 28 to unseat the same and open the ports 32 and 33 to the rear end of the cylinder I behind the initially moved piston 2. This results in admitting live air to the near side of the piston 2 and forcing it on its power stroke to carry the driving head I3 further between the shank portions 2B of the jaws and move their outer ends I8 into closing relation to clamp the clip I9 about the wire elements 22.

Releasing the lever 31 following this clip clamping operation, causes the spring 3| to seat the valve 28 and cut ol the supply of live air to the rear side of the piston. The valve 38 partially opens the port 35 and connects it through the bushing 21 to the exhaust port 48 for the rear end of the cylinder.

In this outward movement of the lever 31, the spring 45 seats the valve 38 to close the exhaust port 39 and opens the port 41 to the bore of the bushing 21. In this movement, the valve 40 opens the ports 4I, i2 and connects the front end of the cylinder to the live air supply. This occurs through the port 32, bushing 21, the ports 4|, 42, channel 3, ports 49, 41 in the bushing and cylinder passage 46 as shown in Fig. 1. Hence, the piston 2 is moved by live air pressure on its return stroke and the spring 9 is compressed by the plunger IE) having contact with the rear header 5. The tool is now in position for applying and clamping operation.

The portable power operated clip squeezing tool as herein disclosed has the advantages and purposes before mentioned. lI'he tool is simple in construction and operation and materially increases production witho-ut undue operator fatigue in these clip squeezing operations in fabricating bed springs, seat cushions and similar structures.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously changed and modied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A portable power operated clip squeezing tool of the character described comprising, a support, relatively movable clip squeezing members on the support and having clip engaging portions, a driving element reciprocably mounted on the support for moving said members into clip squeezing and clip engaging positions, respectively, on the power stroke of said element, power actuated means on the support for reciprocating said element, spring means n the support for initiating the power stroke of said element for initially moving said members to grip and support the another clip clip in advance of the movement vof the element by the power actuated means to squeeze the clip by said members, said spring means being compressed on the return stroke of the driving element for storing energy for a subsequent clip gripping operation, and control means for successively controlling at the will of the operator the operation of said spring means and said power actuated means.

2. A portable power operated clip squeezing tool of the character described comprising, a support, relatively movable clip squeezing members on the support and having clip engaging portions, power actuated means on the support for moving said members into closing relation for squeezing the clip engaged thereby, control means on the support for controlling the application of power to said power actuated means, and spring means operable in response to the initial movement of the controlling means for moving the members into holding relation with the clip for supporting the same in advance of the applicatio-n of power to said power actuated means to squeeze the clip by said members.

3. A portable power operated clip squeezing tool of the character described comprising, a support including a cylinder, relatively movable clip squeezing members on the support and having clip engaging portions, a piston and piston rod assembly reciprocably mounted in said cylinder for moving said members into clip squeezing and clip gripping positions, respectively, valve means `on the support for controlling the admission and exhaust of a pressure fluid to the opposite sides of the piston for reciprocating the same on its power and return strokes, and means operable on exhausting the front side of the piston by the valve for initially moving the members into gripping engagement with the clip for supporting the same in advance of admittingpressure fluid to the rear side of the piston for driving the same on its power stroke to squeeze the clip by said members.

4. A portable power operated clip squeezing tool of the character described comprising, a support including a cylinder, relatively movable clip squeezing members on the Supprt and having clip engaging portions, a piston and piston rod assembly reciprocably mounted n said cylinder for moving said members into clip squeezing and clip gripping positions, respectively, valve means on the support for controlling the admission and exhaust of pressure fluid to the opposite sides of the piston for reciprocating the same on its power and return strokes, and spring means carried by the rod and automatically compressed in response to the return stroke of the piston for initially moving said members to grip and support the clip in advance of admitting the pressure uid to the rear side of the piston to move the same on its power stroke to squeeze the clip by said members.

5. A portable power operated clip squeezing strokes, a spring, and a co-acting plunger, both mounted in the rod, said plunger engaging the rear header for compressing the spring in response to the return stroke of the piston, said spring becoming effective on the release of pressure from the front side of the piston by the valve for initially moving the members into gripping relation with the clip for supporting the same in advance of admitting pressure fluid to the rear side of the piston for driving the same: on its power stroke to squeeze the clip by said members.

6. A portable power operated clip squeezing tool of the character described comprising, a support, relatively movable clip squeezing members on the support and having clip engaging portions, a pressure fluid actuated motor on the support for moving said members into closing relation for squeezing the clip engaged thereby, valve means on the support for controlling the admission and exhaust of a pressure'fluid to said motor, and means operable in the initial movement of the valve means for moving the members into gripping relation to the clip for supporting the same in advance of admitting pressure uid to the motor for squeezing the clip by said members, said valve having continued movement in one direction to successively control at the will of the operator said clip gripping and clip squeezing operations.

7. A portable power operated clip squeezing tool of the character described comprising, a support, relatively movable clip squeezing members on the support and having clip engaging portions, power actuated means on the support and having power and return strokes with respect to said members, said power actuated means serving in its power stroke to initially move said members to grip and support the clip engaged thereby and thereafter squeeze the clip engaged between said members, control means for controlling the power and the return strokes of said power actuated means and for successively moving at the will of the operator said means into said clip gripping and squeezing positions, respectively, and means on the support for holding thc members in operative relation to said power actuated means and for moving the members into open positions on the return stroke of said power actuated means to release and receive a clip with respect to said members.

8. A portable operated clip squeezing tool of the character described comprising, a support, relatively movable clip squeezing members on the support and having clip engaging portions, a reciprocable driving element on the supportl and having power and return strokes with respect to said members, power actuated means on the support for reciprocating said driving element, spring means on the support for imparting initial movement to the driving element in response to its power stroke for moving said members to grip and hold a clip in advance of squeezing the clip engaged by said members, control means for controlling at the will of the operator the operation of said power actuated and spring means, and means for holding said members in contact with said driving element and for moving the members into open positions on the return stroke of said driving element to release and receive a clip with respect to said members.

FRITHIOF P. FORSS. 

